Meriadoc Brandybuck is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Whenever one or more Halflings you control attack a player, create a Food token. (It's an artifact with ",
, Sacrifice this token: You gain 3 life.")
Complete guide
Meriadoc Brandybuck is a legendary Halfling that ensures your fellowship stays well-fed during the heat of battle. By leading your Halflings into combat, you can generate valuable Food tokens to sustain your life total and fuel other synergies.
What it Does
Meriadoc Brandybuck features a triggered ability that triggers whenever you declare one or more Halflings as attackers against a player. When this happens, you create a Food token, which is a predefined artifact token that can be sacrificed for 2 mana and tapping it to gain 3 life.
How it Resolves Step by Step
First, you enter the Declare Attackers step and choose which creatures will attack. If at least one Halfling is attacking a player, Meriadoc's ability triggers. If you attack multiple players (such as in a Commander game) with at least one Halfling each, the ability triggers once for each player. These triggers are put on the stack. Once they resolve, you create the Food tokens before the Declare Blockers step begins.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is thinking you get a token for every individual Halfling that attacks; however, you only get one token per player attacked, regardless of how many Halflings are charging them. Additionally, attacking a Planeswalker or a Battle will not trigger this ability, as the text specifies the Halflings must attack a player.
When to Play it
You should play Meriadoc Brandybuck in a deck featuring many Halflings to ensure you can reliably trigger the ability every turn. Because he only costs two mana, he can come down early and start providing a steady stream of life gain or artifact tokens for other game mechanics.
Interaction examples
Meriadoc BrandybuckIf Meriadoc Brandybuck attacks a player by himself, his ability triggers because he is a Halfling. You will create one Food token during the Declare Attackers step.
Llanowar Elves
Birds of ParadiseIf you attack a player with Meriadoc Brandybuck, Llanowar Elves, and Birds of Paradise, the ability triggers only once. Even though three creatures attacked, only Meriadoc is a Halfling, which satisfies the condition for one Food token.
FoodAfter Meriadoc Brandybuck attacks and you create a Food token, you can activate the Food's ability later in the game. By paying 2 mana, tapping the Food, and sacrificing it, you gain 3 life. Note that you cannot use that same Food token for two different costs at the same time.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Meriadoc Brandybuck
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures, it's never a creature type.
Card named in this ruling
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You can't sacrifice a Food to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate Maraleaf Rider's ability.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Whatever you do, don't eat the delicious cards.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Meriadoc Brandybuck's ability has you create just one Food token per player you attack with a Halfling, no matter how many Halflings you attack them with beyond the first.
Card named in this ruling
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Halflings attacking a planeswalker or battle won't cause Meriadoc Brandybuck's ability to trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Meriadoc Brandybuck
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